Enhancement of stress-resistance in plants, including tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, is desirable in many agricultural settings. Two transcription factors, G28 and G1792, mediate enhanced tolerance to multiple pathogens when overexpressed in plants, e.g., Arabidopsis (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20030046723), as well as tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought tolerance. Accordingly, genes that are regulated by these factors are of interest as targets to increase stress tolerance, including disease-resistance, drought tolerance, and chilling tolerance, in plants.
One method that can be employed to modulate G28 and G1792-regulated pathways that function in tolerance to stresses such as pathogens, drought and chilling is to upregulate expression of the transcription factors genetically. In some circumstances, it may be preferred to modulate these pathways using chemical means, rather than genetic means. Accordingly, there is a need to develop methods of identifying chemicals that modulate expression of the G28 and G1792-mediated stress tolerance pathways. The present invention provides advantages relative to other approaches in that compounds identified in accordance with the invention can be easily and quickly deployed.